(Organic vegetable garden, Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.)
All life on planet Earth is dependent on a very thin layer of the earth's crust we call the soil. Organic gardening recognises this vital dependency on sustained soil fertility for human health and nutrition through the use of commonsense ecologically sound methods. Organic gardening does not use artificial, synthetic fertilisers or pesticides or fungicides. As Peter Bennett in his book Organic Gardening defines it:'Organic gardening ..ensures a permanently sustainable fertility system capable of producing vegetation of the highest nutritional quality. This produce in turn favours a vigorous, healthly life cycle for all dependent life forms, including human beings.'
This blog aims to provide a practical demonstration of the use of organic gardening methods to cultivate vegetables in a temperate climate. It is a celebration of the organic methods, organic produce and vegetables. My passion for healthly Japanese food, particularly vegetables, is reflected in the choice of vegetables and herbs. Through the winter I aim to grow daikon, mibuna, mitsuba, kabu (turnip), burdock, shungiku, komatsuna, nabana; and into spring ninjin (carrot), horenso (spinach) and negi (leek). I also hope to share some Japanese recipes using the produce.
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| Blessing of Nature (大自然のめぐみ) |
We are born and die one time in this human life. How shall we live it? That is the fundamental question of the Buddha Dharma. It is thanks to nature - all livings things - that we are able to live. Let us grow and receive food with gratitude for this and be thankful for the joy and nourishment it gives to our lives.
